Pinewood Prep Erects Bust of Gandhi Saturday

and the India Association of Greater Charleston will unveil a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at the school's Frances Suddeth Josephson Liberty Garden.

Saturday's unveiling will feature Indian music, dancing, food and speakers from the Indian Association of Greater Charleston.

The Gandhi likeness will join Albert Einstein. Mother Theresa and others.

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The members of IAGC have spearheaded the project by raising the necessary funds, traveling to India to commission the services of a renowed sculptor and handling its transportation and installation.

"The Mahatma Gandhi bust at Pinewood Preparatory is the first one of its kind in the entire state of South Carolina. India Association of Greater Charleston (IAGC) is very proud of this significant milestone,” said Dr. Joyce Menon, president of IAGC. “We consider the Liberty Garden at Pinewood Preparatory school to be an ideal spot to place Mahatma Gandhi's bust since it signifies the importance of his teachings on several world leaders like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Dalai Lama.”

The India Association of Greater Charleston was started in 1984 by residents of Indian descent. IAGC is open to anyone with an interest in India, and is a nonprofit, non-political and non-religious association.

The bronze bust was sculpted by Jasu Shilpi, a sculptor who currently lives in Gujarat, India. Shilpi, also known as “The Bronze Woman of India,” has received numerous awards, one being Woman of the Year in 2000 by the American Biographical Institute. She is well known for her bronze sculptures showcased around the world.

Shilpi wrote on her website that she is very much inspired by Gandhi. She said that she agrees with his ideas about non-violence. These inspirations were put into the bronze sculpture that will now reside in the Liberty Garden at Pinewood Preparatory School.

Pinewood’s Liberty Garden was established in January 2010. The garden is named after Frances Suddeth, a code-breaker in World War II. The bronze bust of Gandhi will be the final addition to the Garden. The statue will be placed next to busts of Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, Dalai Lama, Albert Einstein and Nelson Mandela.